# Simple chess board vs Chess Widget

The clearest difference is ads: Chess Widget at none against Simple chess board's shown. Chess Widget also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 10 months). Simple chess board's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 67%) and ratings volume (68 vs 14). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple chess board sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Chess Widget sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Simple chess board against 4.5 for Chess Widget. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 68 and 14 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Simple chess board's written reviews are positive against 67% of Chess Widget's.

Simple chess board ships an update every 10 months, Chess Widget fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple chess board | Chess Widget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-chess-board/id531158560/reviews) | **[4.5 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-widget-daily-puzzles/id1645667912/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **68** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | **88.2% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 9 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Luis Lopez](https://appshunter.io/developer/453216096) | [Oleg Soloviev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1263912907) |

## What reviewers say

### Simple chess board

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-chess-board/id531158560)

This app provides a digital chessboard with unrestricted piece movement and a configurable chess clock. Save and load board positions, undo/redo moves, and even use checker pieces. It's ideal for analyzing games or setting up custom scenarios.

**Highlights:** Free piece movement, Undo/Redo functionality, Board rotation, Checker piece option, Save/load positions, Configurable chess clock, Tweet current position

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and straightforward
- 👍 Great for study and practice
- 👍 No restrictions or 'help' functions
- 👍 Allows setting up custom positions
- 👍 Useful for playing through games

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Pieces not bound by rules
- 🤔 Graphics can be distracting/ugly
- 🤔 Aggressive board colors
- 🤔 Clocks take up screen space
- 🤔 Pieces can shift unexpectedly

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard not appearing to enter text/save
- Cannot figure out how to save position
- Pieces shift on their own
- Kings and queens on wrong squares initially
- Save position fails with 'You must insert text' error

**Requested features**

- Add scoresheet functionality
- Export game for analysis
- Move counter
- Portrait view on iPad
- Board expansion to fill screen


### Chess Widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-widget-daily-puzzles/id1645667912)

This app brings chess puzzles and games directly to your Home Screen. Solve daily puzzles, play against AI, analyze historical games, or even play multiplayer with friends nearby, all without an internet connection.

**Highlights:** Home screen chess puzzles, Play against AI, Analyze historical games, Board editor mode, Offline multiplayer, Daily new puzzles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 coffee | $4.99 | one-time |
| 2 coffees | $9.99 | one-time |
| 5 coffees | $24.99 | one-time |
| 10 coffees | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple chess board free?

Simple chess board is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Chess Widget free?

Chess Widget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Simple chess board or Chess Widget?

Chess Widget is rated higher. Simple chess board averages 4.5 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while Chess Widget averages 4.5 from 14 ratings.

### Do Simple chess board or Chess Widget have ads?

Simple chess board shows ads; Chess Widget does not.

### Which is updated more often, Simple chess board or Chess Widget?

Simple chess board ships an update every 10 months, and Chess Widget fortnightly. Most recently, Simple chess board was updated on November 6, 2026 and Chess Widget on November 12, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*